Broken Portrait
by VampireQueenAkasha
Summary: TFA: He had it all; a loving bondmate and a beautiful daughter. But like all things, it came to an end. - A REQUEST that ties in with "Fairytale Heaven" - Ultra MagnusXOC.


**Broken Portrait**

**Disclaimer: **Well...let's see; this little single-page one-shot was requested by an idea by one of my compadre's **mamabot**. And once the idea was rooted, I couldn't stop myself from writing it. LOL. So here is a little fic that takes place before the events of "Fairytale Heaven" that ties in with Masquerade and it goes into the story of Eros' parents. It'll also explain a few things; Pontus' need to always torment Eros, his desire to take Magnus' place eventually.

_"I love my father as the stars - he's a bright shining example and a happy twinkling in my heart."_

_-_Adabella Radici

"_Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate."_

-Barnett Brickner

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"...usher in a new age of peace and cooperation in the galaxy..."_

-Ultra Magnus, G1

_Cybertron_

Ultra Magnus made his way home after an exhausting meeting. He was greeted by the loving embrace and kisses of his spark mate, Rhea. Sometimes he pondered how he had ever been so lucky to come home to a femme as lovely as her; her dark red features and golden edges with dark, intense blue optics. She was almost always light in spirit, but her beautiful lips curved into a disappointed pout as she kissed him and slipped her arms around his neck.

"You took longer than promised," she said, looking up at him with arched optic ridges.

Ultra Magnus looked at her apologetically and slipped his arms around her waist. "Pontus took longer with his speech than I cared to endure."

Rhea sighed. "And here your only daughter is left second to that insufferable mech."

Ultra Magnus' optics flickered. "Has she gone to sleep?"

"Indeed she has, dearest spark," Rhea said, her irritation diminished to a slight degree; she smiled now, "The music box is certainly a lifesaver. She has your commanding presence already and refuses to acknowledge recharge time unless it suits her."

Ultra Magnus smiled now. "But she has your fiery spirit."

Rhea smirked slyly and nodded. "We have made sometime special, you and I."

The two bond mates walked down the halls of their quarters and stepped into their rooms, moving over to the slumbering blue form of their child sleeping in a smaller berth. Ultra Magnus' spark swelled at the sight of her, his beautiful child and he reached in to lightly touch her small helm with one finger.

"I want to spend every nanoklick that I can with my child," he said quietly, "But I must also ensure that Cybertron is protected from any Decepticon forces." He sighed with regret. "Eventually, I will grow old and watch my children bear younglings of their own."

Rhea arched her optic ridges with amusement at the suggestion. "How many children would you want, my love?"

"Hm...perhaps six then?"

"Six?" Rhea's smile widened now and she tilted her head.

Ultra Magnus looked at her with a small smile on his face. "What's the matter? Is that not enough?"

They were silent for a moment before she spoke again.

"Take the day off tomorrow, dear," Rhea said, looking up at him with a glimmer of insistence, "You need time with your daughter."

"I couldn't do that," Ultra Magnus argued gently, "There's too much work that needs done."

Rhea sighed with mild disinterest before she smiled and leaned forward, cupping his face and looking up at him with sweet, syrupy optics. "Take some time off to take care of your family, my love," she pleaded in a tone that she was famous for, "Because if you take care of us then..." She slipped her arms around his neck and swayed her hips back and forth in a tantalizing way, "...I will certainly take care of you."

Ultra Magnus' optic ridges went up and he smiled. A light flush came to his white cheeks. "Really?"

Rhea smiled seductively. "Indeed," Then, her optic ridges arched slightly. "Or has the company of politics and mechs robbed you of your desire for me?"

Ultra Magnus looked mildly flustered by that and Rhea grinned, delighted with the knowledge that she could earn such a reaction from him. "Rhea, don't make those optics..." he grumbled, "You know how badly they get to me when you do that."

"I know, dear spark," she teased, leaning forward to kiss him on the lips, "That's why I do them."

He just smiled and returned the kiss.

"Very well," he finally said, "I will take a day off."

The following morning, Ultra Magnus stayed true to his word and took a day off from his work to spend time with his family. They took the day at the park where Eros cheerfully tossed a ball back and forth with her father. Rhea joined in on the games and Ultra Magnus accidentally threw the ball too far and it rolled near the edge of the park. Eros started to walk over for it, but it was picked up by a golden hand and she looked up at Pontus.

"Why, hello there, cute thing," he purred, "Drop this?"

Rhea walked up and took the ball from Pontus. "Thank you, Pontus," she said, though she didn't seem very comfortable in his presence, "You're quite the Samaritan."

Pontus chuckled dryly. "I suppose I am." He looked at Eros and smiled a particularly oily smile before glancing up at Ultra Magnus in the distance. "You know, Rhea; if you ever get tired of a weary old mech, you know where I am."

Rhea smiled, mildly annoyed. "I'll log it away, Pontus."

Pontus watched as the spark mother and her offspring walked back to Ultra Magnus and engaged in conversation before leaving. His optics flickered darkly before he smiled to himself; he was always disgusted with the sight of the two together.

"Take care in holding her close, Magnus..." he said, softly, "Take care in the fact that you took what should have always been mine."

Ultra Magnus looked down at Rhea as they walked away with Eros in her arms. "What did Pontus want?" he asked.

"Perpetuating his vanity, that's all," she assured him, "He believes there is a possibility of a future with himself and me together." She rolled her optics with dismay at Ultra Magnus' highly displeased grimace. "As if you have anything to be concerned with, dear spark. I am bonded to you and only you."

Eros looked up at Rhea and reached for the ball in Ultra Magnus' hands. "Ball..." she ordered, with a cute, child pout on her face.

Ultra Magnus smiled down at his daughter. "Eros, if you want this, you'll have to take it."

Without hesitation, Eros took the ball from her father's servos and flashed a triumphant smile at him. "Mine!" she boasted.

Ultra Magnus let out a chuckle of amusement. "I can see she has no problem challenging me."

Rhea winked playfully at him. "I've taught her well then."

O

_Many solar cycles later_

"Would you like to know how I met your father?"

Eros and her parents sat together in Ultra Magnus' office and the mech rolled his optics at his spark mate began to discuss his past with his daughter. Eros however was tuned into her mother's question now. It was amazing how much she looked like her mother, but she had her father's prominent blue colors and his scowl when she would get upset. It made matters worse because she also had her mother's optics and Eros knew it; she knew she could use it to get away with some of the things that irritated him.

"Rhea, please don't start that today..." Ultra Magnus grumbled, "Eros doesn't wish to hear of our relationship escapades."

Eros arched her optic ridges with a teasing grin in his direction. "Eros DOES want to hear about your relationship escapades."

Rhea laughed and took a comfortable spot in her chair before she began.

"Your father was quite a gentlebot," she told her daughter, "He was also a little...shy."

_Ultra Magnus stood rather uncomfortably among the training grounds, observing Rhea and her troops as they practiced that day. He cleared his throat and attempted to practice a few time what he was going to say when he spoke to her. _

_"Rhea? Hello," he said to himself, "Um, first of all, how are you doing? Good? Um, good for me too. I'm satisfactory to say the least." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and stared at the offering of a Cybertronian statue carving of a turbo wolf, "I brought you a gift and thought of you because it's lovely and-well, I thought you might like it as well because you're rather lovely as well and I-well, I thought that..." _

_"Commander?"_

_Ultra Magnus whirled with a surprised sound and hid the offering behind his back, smiling with embarrassment at Rhea standing there. _

_"R-Rhea!" he exclaimed, "I-I didn't- Did you hear all of that?"_

_She chuckled warmly and nodded. "Bits and pieces of it."_

_Ultra Magnus grunted and offered her his gift with a little tenseness to his frame. "I have a gift for you, Rhea." he said._

_She took it and smiled brightly. "Thank you."_

_"Do you like it?"_

_"I do."_

Eros flashed her father a grin and he looked embarrassed. "Oh my, father," she teased, "A miniature turbo wolf statue? You certainly are the very definition of romance."

Ultra Magnus scowled at her indignantly. "The merchant persuaded me that it was what femmes liked; small animals displayed in statue form!"

The two femmes at his side giggled. "Oh dear spark, you know I still have the statue and always will adore it!" Rhea told him. "After all, that wasn't the most charming part of our relationship. Do you recall when you first asked me on a date?"

Ultra Magnus grumbled and buried his hand in his face. "Yes..."

"He was so shy that when he approached me, he said...?" Rhea glanced at her bondmate with an affectionate, expectant grin.

"You know what I said..."

"Tell Eros."

Ultra Magnus groaned in defeat and cast his optics upwards before responding with less enthusiasm. "'I'm going to the council meeting. Would you like to join me'?" he mumbled.

The two femmes laughed loudly and Ultra Magnus growled at that. He buried his face in his hands and shook his head. "Should you two be doing something useful right now besides using me as your personal tease toy?"

He looked up when he felt their arms around him and their cheerful smiles and he rolled his optics with dismay.

"I'm getting too old for this..."

After their little discussion, Eros spent a part of the day observing old holo photos and portraits in her father's archives and Ultra Magnus stepped inside. He arched his optic ridges and observed Eros ankle-joint deep in data files.

"Eros, what are you doing?" he asked.

She smiled up at him. "Father, did you know you have entirely too many holo photos?"

"Yes, I was aware," he replied, "And these portraits are of many members of my line, right down to me. It's a tradition among my family to preserve our image in these holo-portraits. I never understood the need myself, but tradition should always be respected. It is why I had your mother, myself and you put into a holo portrait."

Eros looked up at one and grimaced in surprise. "Eww, who's he?" she asked, pointing to one.

Ultra Magnus looked up at the portrait in question; a dark blue mech with an aged, stern look on his face. He looked like he was angry at the entire world.

"That was my father," Ultra Magnus told her.

Eros laughed slightly. "I love his smile," she quipped. "Why didn't he perk up for the portrait anyway?"

"That WAS his smile. You should have seen him when he was angry."

Eros arched her optic ridges. "I suppose it runs in the signature, does it?"

"Not unless you do something particularly bothersome, daughter."

Eros flashed him a broad smile in response. "Bothersome? Since when have I ever done anything bothersome?"

Ultra Magnus just groaned softly. "You're too much like your mother sometimes..."

The two made their way to the Iacon docks where Rhea was preparing to leave with her troops. Eros placed her arms around her mother and offered her the music box that she had given her. Rhea looked surprised.

"Eros, this was a gift to you," she told her.

Eros smiled and shook her head. "I want you to hold onto it for me," she said, "So while you're on Orion, you'll always have something to remember us by."

Rhea nodded her head. "I see. Of course."

She looked up at her bond mate and Ultra Magnus sheepishly shifted before placing his arms around her and sharing a kiss. He seemed uncomfortable displaying public affection, but Rhea would not have that. When she parted, she gave him a loving smile and nuzzled her olfactory sensor against his.

"Be safe, my love," he said, quietly.

O

The cycles that passed were not of a cheerful kind.

Ultra Magnus was sitting in the darkness of his office, staring at the music box in his hand. He hadn't spoken a word to anyone since it happened; since his bondmate had come back to him at the edge of death and died shortly afterwards. No one had dared to speak to him either, but that morning, Pontus stepped into his office unannounced and Ultra Magnus' optics narrowed with a rigidness that could chill granite.

"What do you want, Pontus?" he snapped.

"I have come to offer my sympathies, Magnus," Pontus said, and it was particularly cryptic, "After all, Rhea should have remained here where she was safe. You took it upon yourself to send her into enemy territory knowing its dangers."

Ultra Magnus scowled and rose from his seat. "I will not be lectured by you, Pontus!" he bellowed.

"No," Pontus replied calmly, his features were different now; he looked rather saddened, but seemed to attempt to restrain it, "I would not have allowed any harm to come to her. I would have kept her safe, unlike you."

Ultra Magnus walked from behind his desk to Pontus, standing in his face now. "Did you think I was blind to your actions, Pontus?" he growled, "I knew from the beginning how you felt about my bond mate-did you so easily think I wouldn't notice? I am also aware that you've attempted to make several unprofessional moves on her behind my back. I didn't react to this, but do you know something?" He leaned forward and whispered furiously. "I wanted to break your jaw for that."

Still wounded from the loss of his love, Ultra Magnus was definitely much more aggressive than he would usually be. Pontus was calm however and smiled.

"I know you can beat me easily, Magnus," he said, with a contemptible glare, "But you won't."

"Indeed I won't," Ultra Magnus said, his features returning to a much more reserved look, "But know this; I will be watching you."

Pontus just laughed softly. "I'll watch my back then."

It was a particularly unpleasant sneer as he walked out of the office, leaving the Magnus alone with his thoughts. He stood there in silence for a moment before he left to find his daughter in her quarters. She was sitting at her desk, fresh lubricant streaks down her cheeks. When her father entered, she sniffed a bit through her intakes and wiped at her optics, somewhat embarrassed that her father saw her this way.

"Father, please..." she said, with a weak hiccup, "I just want to be left alone right now."

Ultra Magnus said nothing as he moved around her desk and dropped to one knee, slipping his arms around her in a tight embrace. Eros didn't even argue the action and wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could. Ultra Magnus uttered no sounds, but tears trickled down the sides of his cheeks. When he finally did speak, it was soft and restrained.

"That's never going to happen, Eros..." he whispered, "I will never leave you alone."

Eros looked momentarily surprised, but only because her father displayed the emotion he usually tried to keep in check. But right now, she just wanted to hold him.

"Okay, father..." she replied, just as quiet.


End file.
